Top seed David Ferrer had to dig deep to reach the quarter-finals at the ATP Portugal Open on Wednesday, finally overcoming Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
The 31-year-old Spaniard, who was beaten in his opening match at last week’s Barcelona Open, will play Romanian journeyman Victor Hanescu, who accounted for sixth-seeded Frenchman Benoit Paire 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.
Ferrer, who missed the Monte Carlo Masters after injuring a thigh in the final of the Miami tournament in March, is looking to get some valuable court time prior to the French Open later this month.
Photo: EPA
The Spaniard had looked to be cruising to victory when he led by a set and 4-2 in the second, but then lost his concentration.
“I lost that game and the set. In the third it was tough to break him,” he said.
“It was a very good match to get through, but I certainly have to lift my level for the next round,” Ferrer said. “Hanescu is a good player even if I’ve beaten him before [he has beaten him on both occasions they have played]. I have to play well.”
Photo: EPA
Ferrer, who has not played at the Portugal Open since 2009, took nearly two hours to subdue his feisty French opponent, serving four double-faults and being broken three times.
He was brought in as a late replacement for Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, the holder who could not play because of a stomach virus.
Despite his recent setbacks, world No. 4 Ferrer stands a formidable 26-6 since the start of the year, having won the titles in Auckland (hard) and Buenos Aires (clay) before finishing runner-up to Nadal in Acapulco on clay in February and then losing to Andy Murray in Miami.
In the women’s draw, two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova reached her first quarter-final since the Australian Open when she beat Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva 6-4, 6-4.
Kuznetsova, ranked 45 in the world and a wild-card entry, said that while she was happy to win, she was not particularly impressed with how she got through over her rival, who is ranked 117th.
“I was a little lazy at the start, it was an OK win but I’m not so happy about it. I like to play on clay but this court feels a little bit slow,” she said.
The Spanish-trained Russian who now lives in her homeland, but says she still needs Spanish-style coaching, will play Romina Oprandi, who beat China’s Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-3, in the quarter-finals.
Kuznetsova has won all three meetings with the Swiss, but they last played seven years ago.
“She’s got a very different game, she doesn’t give you any rhythm,” said the 27-year-old, who won the US Open in 2004 and Roland Garros five years later.
“She’s very unpredictable and I will have to play much better than I did today,” she said.
Three of the four seeds in the women’s singles advanced to the quarter-finals, led by No. 3 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, coached part-time by former great Martina Hingis.
The Russian beat Spain’s Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-3, 7-6 (7/4).
Fourth-seed Carla Suarez Navarro came good for Spain, beating former Portugal Open winner Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 6-4, 6-3 while Estonia’s defending champion Kaia Kanepi upset Romanian fifth seed Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2.
Monica Puig of Puerto Rico ended the 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone’s hopes of a second successful title, after winning in Marrakech on Sunday, as she beat the Italian 6-3, 6-2.
In the women’s doubles quarter-finals, second seeds Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan and Kristina Mladenovic of France defeated Daria Gavrilova of Russia and Barbara Luz of Portugal, 6-3, 4-6, 10-2.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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